A common x-ray tube and power supply configuration is for both to be integrally joined and have continuous, electrically insulative, potting material surrounding the two devices. The entire unit can be surrounded by an enclosure, typically at ground voltage. Electrically insulative material can insulate high voltage components of the x-ray tube and power supply from the enclosure.
A reason for integrally joining the two devices in this manner is that a voltage differential of tens of kilovolts can exist between the enclosure and wires from the power supply to the x-ray tube, and it can be difficult to electrically isolate this large voltage potential. Difficulty of isolating the two voltages is especially difficult in small, portable, x-ray sources, in which a distance between the high voltage wires and the enclosure can be about 1 cm, but the voltage differential can be around 50 kilovolts.
A problem of the above configuration, with x-ray tube and power supply integrally joined, is that if one device fails, both devices must normally be scrapped. It would be beneficial to have a removable connection between the x-ray tube and the power supply so that the two may be connected and disconnected at will, allowing replacement of one of the devices upon failure, while saving the other device. Such a connection can be difficult because an electrical arc can travel more easily along a junction of the connection between the two devices. Any air trapped in such connection can be especially harmful, because an electrical current can arc through the air causing the air to ionize resulting in breakdown of surrounding potting. Thus, the device can easily fail due to arcing along a connection between x-ray tube and power supply.
One design for a removable connection 210 between an x-ray tube and a power supply is shown in FIGS. 21-22. A plug 73 and a socket 74 can be used to increase a path length that electrical current would need to travel in order to cause a short circuit. Either the x-ray tube or the power supply can be the device 71 attached to the plug (“plug device”) and the other of the x-ray tube or the power supply can be the device 72 attached to the socket (“socket device”). One possible difficulty of this design can be an undesirably long plug length L for very high voltage applications, especially if there are size constraints. Another possible difficulty of this design can be trapped air.